Demografic and clinical characteristics of the patients treated with electroconvulsive therapy

• Main Authors: Meliha Zengin Eroğlu, Eda İçbay, Lut Tamam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dicle University Medical School 2012-09-01
• Series: Dicle Medical Journal
• Subjects: Mood disorder; electroconvulsive therapy; depression; mania
• Online Access: http://www.diclemedj.org/upload/sayi/3/Dicle%20Med%20J-01129.pdf

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine thefrequency of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) use andthe features of patients who underwent ECT treatmentamong psychiatric inpatients with mood disorders in anuniversity hospital setting.Materials and methods: Ninety three patients (49 women,44 men) who had been hospitalized with a diagnosisof mood disorder in Cukurova University Faculty ofMedicine Psychiatry Clinic between 2006 and 2007 wereincluded in the study.Results: Among the 93 patients treated at the inpatientunit; 30 (32.2%) were treated with ECT. The mean ofhospitalization period of the total group was 29.81±15.52days. Patients received ECT had a significantly longerhospitalization period than others. The patients in thegroup had diagnosed as depression (54.8% ), manicepisode of bipolar disorder (33.4%) and depressive episodeof bipolar disorder (11.8%). The results of the studyshowed that ECT was usually chosen as a treatmentmethod for mood disorders (37.3% of bipolar depression,36.4% of major depression and 22.6 % of manic episode).Conclusions: The findings of this study may provide anevidence for the efficacy of ECT in treatment of mood disordersby documenting the frequency rates of ECT usagein a university clinic.Key words: Mood disorder, electroconvulsive therapy,depression, mania